Nick Bollettieri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nick Bollettieri
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Nick Bollettieri at the 2006 US Open.
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| Born |
Nicholas James Bollettieri
July 31, 1931 Pelham, New York, U.S.
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| Occupation | Coach |
| Spouse(s) |
Cindi Eaton
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 7 |
Nicholas James Bollettieri (born July 31, 1931 – died December 4, 2022) was a famous American tennis coach. He was known for starting the idea of a tennis boarding school. He helped many top tennis players become champions over the years. Some of these players include Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles, and Mary Pierce. He also worked with stars like Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Martina Hingis. Nick Bollettieri was also a coach who traveled with players, like Boris Becker for two years.
Bollettieri was featured in several TV shows and movies. One famous film about him was called Love Means Zero. It was shown for the first time at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017.
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Early Life and Education
Nick Bollettieri was born in Pelham, New York. His parents were immigrants from Italy. He went to Pelham Memorial High School and graduated in 1949. In 1953, he earned a degree in philosophy from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.
After college, he served in the United States Army. He became a First Lieutenant in 1956. Later, he started teaching tennis after leaving University of Miami Law School. One of his first students was Brian Gottfried. Nick Bollettieri's very first tennis camp was at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
Building a Tennis Empire
Even though he only played a little tennis in high school, Bollettieri became a tennis director. This was at the Doral Beach Hotel in Puerto Rico in the late 1960s.
In 1978, he moved to Longboat Key, Florida. There, he worked as an instructor at the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort. In the early 1980s, Bollettieri opened his own school. It was called the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (NBTA). This academy was built on 40 acres in Manatee County, Florida, near Bradenton, Florida.
The academy became very successful. In 1987, a big company called International Management Group (IMG) bought it from Bollettieri. However, Nick continued to manage the tennis academy. He played a huge role in helping it grow and develop new programs. In his later years, Bollettieri kept coaching top players at the academy. He spent most of his time in Bradenton.
Life Beyond the Court
Nick Bollettieri continued to teach tennis and give speeches around the world. He was also an editor for Tennis magazine. He wrote two books about his life. The first was My Aces, My Faults in 1996. The second was Bollettieri: Changing the Game in 2014.
In 2001, Bollettieri also wrote an instructional book called Bollettieri's Tennis Handbook. This book teaches everything from how to hit the ball to strategies and how to train your body and mind. He also made a set of ten instructional DVDs called the Nick Bollettieri DVD Collection. These DVDs show many different ways to practice tennis.
His Famous Students
Many of Nick Bollettieri's students became world No. 1 tennis players. The first ones to reach the top were Monica Seles, Jim Courier, and Andre Agassi. Later, Marcelo Ríos also became No. 1 after working with Bollettieri.
The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, had a long connection with Bollettieri. They visited his academy for many years. They often prepared for big tournaments called Grand Slams there. Other famous players who trained at the academy include Mary Pierce and Anna Kournikova.
More recently, students like Maria Sharapova and Jelena Janković trained with Bollettieri. Maria moved from Russia at age nine to train there. Jelena came from Serbia when she was 12. Both of them also became No. 1 players. Max Mirnyi, who trained with Bollettieri for 17 years, became the world's best in men's doubles tennis.
Bollettieri also traveled as a coach with famous players. He coached Andre Agassi from 1986 to 1993. He also coached Boris Becker from 1993 to 1995.
Personal Life and Legacy
Nick Bollettieri had seven children. He was married to his eighth wife, Cindi Eaton, since 2004. In the same year, they started a non-profit fitness camp called Camp Kaizen.
Nick Bollettieri passed away at his home in Bradenton, Florida, on December 4, 2022. He was 91 years old.
Honors and Awards
On May 18, 2008, Bollettieri received a special honor. He was given an honorary doctorate degree from the New York College of Health Professions. This was for his great contributions to sports, fitness, and wellness.
In 2014, he was recognized for his amazing career. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The next year, Bollettieri made history again. He became the first white man to be inducted into the Black Tennis Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Nick Bollettieri para niños
